Improved apparatus for saving gold, amalgam, and quicksilver



intimi tant @anni i (ltftiw.

GEORGE R. EVANS-OF VIRGINIA CITY, NEVADA, ASSIGNOR TO HIM* SELF. AND JOHN INHITE, OF THE SAME PLACE.

Lezers Patent No. 86,379, ma Fama/ry 2', 1869.

IMPROVE!) APPARATUS FOR SAVING- GOLD, AMALGAM, QUICKSILVER.

The Schedule referred t o in these Letten Patent and making part of the same.

To dll whom it ma/y concern: v y

Be it known that I, GEORGE It. EVANS', of Virginia City, county of Storey, State of Nevada, have invented an Improved Apparatus for, Saving Gold, Amalgam, and Quicksilver; and I do lhereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are suliicient to enable any person skilled in the art or science Vto which it most nearly appertains, to make and use4 my said invention or improvements without further inventionor experiment.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved apparatus for saving gold, amalgam, and quicksilver, after the ore has been crushed and passed through the mill, and consists in running the tailings or residue from lthe mill over a copper plate, which is curved or tinted so as to form alternate circular, troughs and riffies. The plate is set at a-n incline, each alternate groove or trough having a narrow longitudinal slot or Opening running almost its entire length. Through these openings the gold and amalgam'will fall int-o an amalgamated box beneath, which is so divided, by means of partitions, into compartments, that each slot or opening in the grooved plate above will be directly above the middle. Of each compartment. The.

partitions in the box have also a longitudinal section cut from the middle of' each,- through which the water and debris pass off to the outside, through a similar' opening in the lower end of the box.

To more fully explain my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, of which- Figure l is a side sectional view of my invention.

Figure 2 'is a plan.

Similar letters of reference in each of the figures indicate like parts.

A is a plate, made of copper or other metal capable of being amalgamated, and is curved or liiuted, so as to form circular elevations and depressions, as shown,

vand has the side-pieces B B.

Each alternate depression or groove has a slot, a, running almost its entire length.

The plate is set at an incline, and the .current of water which carries the tailings is rcceivedat the upper end. The instant it is received in the first trough, the gold, amalgam, and quicksilver, by their superior specific gravity, seek the bottom, and a portion is carried through into the first compartment of a box, O,

any ne particles which may have vescaped the influf l ence of the quicksilver, and hold it, while. the sulphurets lodge in the grooves, where the' accumulation of sand retains them. The tailings are th'us passed along from one groove to the other, exposing the entire body to theamalgama-ted surface, the amalgam falling through into the box C. 4

The box G is divided' into compartments by partitions D I), so that the opening a, in the bottom of the grooves, in the plate A, will be between the two partitions.

These partitions have a longitudinal portion cut out midway between the bottom and top of the box, forming openings E E.

The box is set at the same angle as the plate, and supports it.

The amalgam and quicksilver, after dropping through the Opening a, fall to the bottom of the compartment,

and lodge in the angle formed by the side and partition, gathering in a body, while the water and debris pass Out through an opening, F, in the end of the box, similar to those in the partition.

By this means all the tine gold is brought in actual contact with the amalgamated surface of the corrugated copper plate, and either clings to it Or falls through into the compartments below, from whence it cannot escape. The sulphurets are caughtiu the grooves or channels in the plate, while the debris is carriedo" by the action of the water.`

This device may be extended to any length desired, so as to insure the thorough extraction of the metals.

Having thus described Amy invention,

That I claim,'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The curved plate A, slotted at a a, together with the box .0, having the partitions D D, with the slots E, E, and F, the whole constructed and operating substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof, I have .hereunto set my hand and seal.

G. R. EVANS. [1.. s.] Witnesses:

GEO. H. STRONG, J. L. BOONE. I' 

